Introduced with the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008, the bill establishes a home ownership assistance scheme to provide a home loan interest subsidy to eligible members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) who are serving on or after 1 July 2008. Also provides transitional eligibility for certain ADF members under existing home loan subsidy schemes.

Following government endorsement of the recommendations of the Review of the Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Office Holders (the Uhrig Review) and the recommendations of an interdepartmental committee, the bill amends the

Defence Housing Authority Act 1987

to: rename the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) as Defence Housing Australia; reduce the size of the Board and create an advisory committee; expand the scope of the services DHA can provide and enable it to expand operations to include the provision of services to other Commonwealth agencies; remove DHA’s exemption from Commonwealth taxation and require it to make State and Territory tax equivalent payments to the Commonwealth; and remove outdated provisions. Also amends the

to establish a third universal emblem, the 'Red Crystal', for the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement;

Criminal Code Act 1995

to ensure the emblem is covered by existing offence provisions relating to the improper use of emblems of the Geneva Conventions;

Defence Act 1903

to enable the making of regulations to provide medical and dental treatment (including pharmaceuticals) to an Australian Defence Force member or cadet or their family; and

Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952

to: provide that the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap is a special defence undertaking and a prohibited area; clarify that the Defence power is not the only constitutional basis relied upon to support the Act; and make technical amendments.

to permit the use of the Australian Defence Force to protect States and Territories in response to domestic security and violence situations and to protect Commonwealth interests where State and Territory jurisdictions do not apply. Also makes consequential amendments to the

to: provide that certain members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) may use reasonable and necessary force in the event of an attack on ADF premises; establish a statutory regime of search and seizure powers to operate at ADF premises; update and relocate the trespass offence and related arrest power; authorise the ADF to use overt optical surveillance to monitor the security of ADF premises; and require the disclosure of information captured by such devices to law enforcement agencies and public prosecution authorities; and

to: provide that certain members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) may use reasonable and necessary force in the event of an attack on ADF premises; establish a statutory regime of search and seizure powers to operate at ADF premises; update and relocate the trespass offence and related arrest power; authorise the ADF to use overt optical surveillance to monitor the security of ADF premises; and require the disclosure of information captured by such devices to law enforcement agencies and public prosecution authorities; and